Time of travel of releases from Lake Wallenpaupack to the U.S. Geological Survey’s streamgage monitoring location on the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey

Jaclynne Polcino; John J. Trainor; Jerilyn V. Collenburg

doi:10.3133/sir20255026

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Time of travel of releases from Lake Wallenpaupack to the U.S. Geological Survey’s streamgage monitoring location on the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey

Jaclynne Polcino·John J. Trainor·Jerilyn V. Collenburg

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Abstract

In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) carried out a hydraulic study within the upper Delaware River Basin for the purpose of determining the time of travel for water releases from the Brookfield Renewable U.S. hydroelectric plant at Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania, to reach the USGS streamgage located on the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey (site number 01438500). From September 19 to October 14, 2016, Brookfield Renewable initiated repeated releases of approximately 650 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) and 1,440 ft 3 /s. Hydraulic signals from the releases were tracked at nine key locations between Lake Wallenpaupack and the USGS streamgage at Montague, New Jersey (01438500). Gage height data were recorded at streamgages at major confluences of the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers, Mongaup and Delaware Rivers, and the Neversink and Delaware Rivers. The time of travel to the USGS streamgage at Montague, New Jersey, was determined to be 1,185 minutes during the approximately 650 ft 3 /s releases and 960 minutes during the approximately 1,440 ft 3 /s releases. Elevated streamflow between Lake Wallenpaupack and the Montague streamgage from runoff events prior to the dam releases was found to decrease calculated time of travel identified during the study. The results from this study can be used as a guide to estimate time of travel while considering the water level of downstream streamflow, the volume of water being released, and other outside influences, such as precipitation and snowmelt.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 41.13145977502657° to 41.608544510962616° latitude; -75.28276534144987° to -74.30523052576332° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Jaclynne Polcino, John J. Trainor, Jerilyn V. Collenburg. 2025-04-09. Time of travel of releases from Lake Wallenpaupack to the U.S. Geological Survey’s streamgage monitoring location on the Delaware River at Montague, New Jersey. https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20255026

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